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SHIVA,  “THE  DESTROYER ” 

THE 

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Legend  of  the  Moonstone 

Illustrations  and  Text  by 

CARLO  DE  FORNARO 


Published  by  MARCUS  & CO. 
Jewelers 

544  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Getty  Research  Institute 


https://archive.org/details/shivathedestroyeOOforn 


SHIVA,  “THE  DESTROYER” 

THE 

Legend  of  the  Moonstone 


Illustrations  and  Text  by 

CARLO  DE  FORNARO 


Published  by  MARCUS  & CO. 
Jewelers 

544  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York 


Copyright,  1 902,  by 
Carlo  de  Fornaro 


Mrs.  Ernest  Thompson  Set  on 


Therefore  they  who  worship,  thinking  that  it 
is  fulfilled  by  sacrifice  and  gifts,  win  the  lunar 
world.  They  verily  return  again. 

— From  the  Upanishads. 


Asenkhaya  plus  several 
world  cycles  ago  there 
lived  in  the  island  of 
Lanka,  a King  and  a 
Queen  cobra  who  were 
rulers  over  the  most 
numerous,  the  most 
cunning  and  powerful  tribe  on  the  island. 

Lanka  had  been  overrun  by  these  reptiles  to 
such  an  extent  that  they  had  frightened  and 
driven  from  the  land  all  the  animals  excepting 
the  winged  inhabitants. 

Shiva,  “ The  Destroyer,”  grew  pensive  at  this 


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unusual  happening,  so  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
balance  and  equity.  Nevertheless  with  his  usual 
energy  he  devised  a means  of  speedily  destroy- 
ing the  footless  creatures. 

Therefore  he  filled  the  hearts  of  the  many 
rulers  of  the  tribes  with  envy,  hatred  and  lust. 
Very  soon  they  began  quarreling  among  them- 
selves on  the  hunting  fields.  Strife  grew  more 
frequent  and  every  night  they  fought  regal 
battles  until  the  rising  sun  drove  the  victors 
under  cover. 

Silent  and  swift  as  fleeting  shadows,  encircling 
one  another  in  convulsive  clasps,  tighter  and 
tighter  until  the  poisonous  fangs  had  achieved 
their  deadly  work,  they  fought  in  the  dark,  in 
masses  as  numerous  as  the  blades  of  jungle  grass 
which  their  bodies  pressed. 

Occasionally  an  angry  hood  hissed  in  challenge  ; 
everywhere  there  was  the  glimmering  of  emerald 
eyes  which  dotted  the  darkness  like  angry  stars  ; 
and  above  all  was  heard  the  rustling  of  scaled 


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V 


bodies  with  a noise  of  parched  leaves  when  the 
wind  blows  them  to  and  fro.  The  morning  sun 
glanced  indifferently  upon  the  countless  bodies, 
lacerated,  distorted,  in  couples,  in  groups,  in 
hybrid  embraces,  still  violent  in  masterly  hatred. 

But  the  heart  of  Vishnu,“  The  Preserver,”  grew 
full  of  compassion  at  these  cruel  contests  which 
menaced  to  obliterate  the  entire  race  of  the  foot- 
less ones. 

In  vain  did  he  try  to  stem  this  fearful,  relentless 
annihilation — alone,  he  felt  helpless  and  meanwhile 
Peace  and  Goodwill  were  weeping  the  tears  of 
Despair. 

“ But  the  hunting  ground,”  said  the  Cobras,  “ is 
everybody’s  ground,  and  no  law  will  be  recognized 
but  the  law  of  the  mightiest.”  One  morning  the 
despairing  Vishnu  counted  as  many  as  two  lakhs 
of  mangled  bodies  on  the  battle  ground.  And 
Shiva  was  smiling  furtively  his  insatiable  smile. 
An  Asenkhaya  plus  several  world  cycles  ago 
Soma  shone  every  night  of  the  sun-year,  illum- 


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mating  the  land  as  ever  with  his  delicate  splendor. 
He  owed  his  existence  to  Vishnu’s  kind  services 
and  when  this  god  appealed  to  him  for  help  Soma 
agreed  to  perform  a sacrifice. 

On  the  next  night  Soma  did  not  appear  on 
his  aerial  chariot,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the 
cobras  who  wondered  if  the  gods  were  holding  a 
terrible  punishment  over  their  heads.  They  flew, 
hiding  in  great  terror,  forgetting  all  about  their 
quarrels. 

But  the  King  and  Queen  Cobra,  more  daring 
than  the  rest,  peeped  out  of  their  cave  and  saw  in 
front  of  it  a round  stone  shining  as  vividly  as 
the  largest  of  glow  worms  and  attracting  by  its 
light  the  fire-flies  by  the  thousands. 

It  was  like  a pale  and  sad  smile  from  Soma. 

They  stood  guard  over  this  strange  appearance 
all  the  while  hunting  fire-flies  until  they  had  de- 
voured their  fill.  Then  they  took  it  to  their  cave, 
watching  it  as  a kingly  gem,  to  use  it  again  on  the 
following  eve. 


After  eight  sun-days  Soma  appeared  again  on 
the  heavens,  not  perfectly  round  as  before,  but  in 
the  form  of  a double-pointed  scimitar,  adding  each 
night  to  its  shape  until  it  was  its  own  self  again. 

Thus  it  happened  an  Asenkhaya  plus  several 
world  cycles  ago,  and  every  month  for  a short 
period  of  time  Soma  descends  on  this  planet,  in- 
carnating a moonstone,  to  be  worshipped  by  the 
fire-flies  and  the  rulers  of  the  Cobras,  who  take 
possession  of  it,  thereby  cutting  short  their  quar- 
rels and  avoiding  their  destruction. 


But  Shiva's  head  was  very  heavy  on  his  shoul- 
ders. 


r.  r'  cr*i  * «s» 


